Audio book of the week

You might have seen this tightly plotted story on television — if not, here’s a chance to catch up. The producers use the format oddly, incorporating large chunks of novelistic narration by John Telfer to tell us things about the characters’ movements and moods that listeners could figure out perfectly well for themselves. Still, when Telfer pipes down, the marvellous Clarke puts in a great performance as the abrasive northern detective caught up in solving a nasty murder, his customary relish at winkling out personal secrets from the suspects somewhat subdued when it turns out that the case has links with the deepest recesses of his own life. It follows all the formulaic rules of good detective fiction, but it’s no less enjoyable for that.